Chal Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 What do you guys put ye pots on? I'm seeing all sorts, it seems. Tent floor. Heat mat. Trivets. Inside Heated containers. Trying to figure out the best thing for these cloth bags Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodbloke Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 Always used a trivet on the heat mat to provide an airgap between mat & pot. Changed this last week to floor tiles on heat mat with pot on top, following advice received here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Military Grade Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 (edited) 1 hour ago, Chal said: What do you guys put ye pots on? I'm seeing all sorts, it seems. Tent floor. Heat mat. Trivets. Inside Heated containers. Trying to figure out the best thing for these cloth bags You put the pots onto the pot tray that catches run off and that goes directly onto the heat mat, having a gap is very inefficient. Edited January 8 by Military Grade 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodbloke Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 Oh yeah, I forgot about the catch tray. That sits on the tiles with the pot (single in my case) inside that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chal Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 Interesting. And this is, I take it, the ubiquitous, 'Green' Heat Mats I'm seeing everywhere I look, today? Wondering if they're any different from the Brown ones that've been around for a few decades now, in the reptile world. (Never could get any faith in them ones. Though, I have a tiny one keeping my crickets fresh) I always thought the brown ones weren't to be covered, at least to any depth? Never held a green one. Wouldn't know. Ok. Well I got young pup's here, jumping all over me. Ate my fucking glasses too! Struggling. Just trying to figure all this into my own, diagonally placed, ground tube heaters, now. As a great man once said: " Nothing is easy! " (As he stood on one leg and played a flute Flash bastard.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphyblue Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 I aint posh like so i use sweet tubs as my drip trays. And i found if sitting directly on the mat it gets a bit too hot so i got em raised about 10mm off the mat. And the controller probe about inch and half off the bottom of the pot and controller is set to 24c. It's working well at the moment and i'm all for if it aint broke dont try and fix it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubs Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 Heat mat, then tray, then pot. I use an inch or so of stones or pebbles in the bottom of the pot with barrier fabric above that. This way, the air within the inch layer gently warms the soil above. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldo Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 Pretty sure fabric pots do better when raised so pots can breathe through the bottom although I may have totally just made that up. If that's the case then these microwave oven racks (with legs cut down) may be ideal. If sitting any pots direct on heat mat you need to use some sort of temperature controller to stop roots from cooking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldo Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 @Clubs that's a good idea putting stones/pebbles bottom of pot although if I'm honest find fabric pots more trouble than their worth 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubs Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 16 minutes ago, Eldo said: @Clubs that's a good idea putting stones/pebbles bottom of pot although if I'm honest find fabric pots more trouble than their worth Yes, I agree. Fabric pots dry out too fast, especially at the edges. The pebbles at the bottom also help to aerate the medium from underneath and the barrier fabric stops soil and roots from entering the hot zone. I find it quite an economical way to warm a large plastic pot or planter. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSZZ Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 (edited) 1 hour ago, Eldo said: Pretty sure fabric pots do better when raised so pots can breathe through the bottom although I may have totally just made that up. Its so they aren't sat in the run off water, they can drain off and draw in oxygen from the top of the pot freely - but that goes for plastic pots too not just fabric pots. Good idea with the microwave stands - if I haven't got drainage, I like to use a big tray with plant pot saucers turned upside down and holes drilled in them inside the tray for the plants to sit on, that way it can run off and drain into the tray freely then mopped up with a big sponge or wet vac later. Edited January 8 by GSZZ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chal Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 (edited) Ok, lads. Coming through on the fly, here. I'll be re reading and responding / doling out the 'Likes', presently. Just need some ~ quick as ye can, please! ~ input on Heat Mats. I'd love to have started a new thread. But, this one's turned so 'Heat mat centric', anyway. So ..... 'All' these Plant Mats seem to come in ten by twenty inch? K. Only, I have two, 10 x 10" square bags to go on. Great! Perfect! ..... Until the fucking great NL's start spreading out! Aha!!! I'm seeing smaller mats. One each. What Wattage should I get away with, please? Edited January 8 by Chal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chal Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 21 hours ago, Goodbloke said: Always used ... to provide an airgap between mat & pot. Changed this last week to floor tiles on heat mat ..... A theme we get back to, below. 19 hours ago, Military Grade said: ... Having a gap is very inefficient. Et tu, MG? 4 hours ago, murphyblue said: 10mm off the mat. And the controller ... set to 24c. Tell those two that! 3 hours ago, Clubs said: Heat mat, then tray, then pot. I use an inch or so of stones or pebbles in the bottom of the pot with barrier fabric above that. No gap? And, what's 'Barrier Fabric', please? Is that just a term, or a specific type of material? Thanks 3 hours ago, Eldo said: If sitting any pots direct on heat mat you need to use some sort of temperature controller to stop roots from cooking. That goes absolutely without saying, in my book too 'Where there's heat? There's a thermostat.' (Microwave things found and standing ready, by the way ) 2 hours ago, Clubs said: I find it quite an economical way to warm a large plastic pot or planter. The million dollar question ..... What Wattage, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubs Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 @Chal No, no gap. That's what the layer of pebbles is for. Heatmats radiate heat through contact with another surface. You can have a heat mat on full and hold your hand an inch from it, you'll feel nothing. Barrier fabric, or weed barrier fabric/landscape fabric. It's the stuff you'd lay under decorative mulch or stone aggregate to suppress weeds, while allowing air and moisture to penetrate. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chal Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 Just now, Clubs said: Heatmats radiate heat through contact with another surface. Okay. I've decided to vape my last few cap's, tonight. Realxed first time all day That shit's getting border line 'Twilight Zone', to me! Funny. I only remember ~ from their use, in a past life ~ that, whilst, eg. ye could sit a fish tank on one. Ye weren't then supposed to fill that tank with more than a thin bit of substrate. Other common way was to tape them to the outside glass, on a side. Always had to leave space, at the other end of the tank, for the lizard, or what ever, to move out of the way of the 'Heat Ray'. Others, here, are burying theirs. I like the clay balls idea. I have some here. 'Weed Membrane'? That'll be chopped up oat sacks then! White, woven plastic sacking Just need the Wattages now 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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